Former Rio superintendent arrested in Salt Lake City for shoplifting

Former Rio School District superintendent Sherianne Cotterell was arrested this month on suspicion of shoplifting cosmetics from a grocery store in Salt Lake City, according to authorities.

It was the second alleged offense by Cotterell, who already was on probation for a 2009 shoplifting arrest in Oxnard.

On Aug. 9, Salt Lake City police were called to Dan's Foods after security stopped a customer, later identified as Sherianne Stephens Cotterell, outside the store who was suspected of shoplifting, Detective Mike Hamideh said.

Cotterell allegedly purchased some items but concealed $94.97 worth of cosmetics in her purse and did not pay for them, Hamideh said.

When store security stopped her outside and asked her to come back inside, Cotterell refused, Hamideh said. She only returned to the store after she was put in handcuffs and taken back there by police, according to authorities.

She was arrested on suspicion of retail theft, a misdemeanor, and booked into Salt Lake County Jail. Court records show $555 bail was posted Aug. 10.

Cotterell pleaded not guilty to one count of retail theft on Aug. 10, said Scott Fisher, first assistant city prosecutor. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Court records show Cotterell is being represented by attorney Stanley Adams, but neither he nor Cotterell could be reached for comment Monday.

"We are saddened because this is a lady who has a lot of good things to offer," Rio school board President Eleanor Torres said Monday. "She has a lot of good ideas and a lot of different ways to help children and schools. But with actions such as this, now a second time, we just feel she wouldn't have been ... we couldn't have a leader like that in our district."

Cotterell was given a 60-day notice on a 3-1 board vote in March. Torres and trustees Henrietta Macias and Ramon Rodriguez decided to end her contract without cause.

Trustee Tim Blaylock voted against terminating her, while Trustee Mike Barber, another Cotterell supporter, was unable to attend the special meeting.

Blaylock declined to comment Monday, and Barber did not return a call and email seeking comment.

Cotterell has filed a lawsuit in federal court, saying Torres, Macias and Rodriguez violated her rights by terminating her contract.

In April 2010, Cotterell pleaded no contest to petty theft for shoplifting shoes from a T.J. Maxx store in Oxnard. She said there were extenuating circumstances, including a health condition and stress. She was sentenced to 36 months of probation for petty theft, a misdemeanor.

Ventura attorney Ron Bamieh, who represented Cotterell in that case, said the new arrest could affect her probation if she is found guilty.

Last year, Cotterell responded to an email from The Star about her plea, saying she decided to not defend herself at a trial because she "would be forced to make public the circumstances surrounding a violent assault and other traumatic events" in her life.

She decided it was not in the best interests of her children to have those facts made public, according to the email. She also thanked people who supported her, saying they knew the incident was out of character for her and that it involved the abusive behavior she was trying to cope with at the time.

Bamieh said back then that Cotterell was diagnosed as having anxiety and high-stress depression issues. He said Cotterell was involved in making reports against former Rio school board member Brian Martin surrounding allegations in a sexual abuse case. Cotterell's depression increased because Martin's victim wasn't getting the help she needed, Bamieh said.

Martin, 49, pleaded guilty last year to continuous sexual abuse of a child.